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The night blooming white and yellow flowers appear April through June and the sweet, ruby-colored fruit matures by late June. Saguaro flowers are self incompatible thus require cross pollination. Large quantities of pollen are required for complete pollination as there are numerous ovules. A well-pollinated fruit will contain several thousand tiny seeds.

The major pollinators are bats, primarily the lesser long-nosed bat, feeding on the nectar from the night-blooming flowers, which often remain open in the morning. There are a number of floral characteristics geared toward bat pollination: nocturnal opening of the flowers, nocturnal maturation of pollen, very rich nectar, position high above the ground, durable blooms that can withstand a bat's weight, and fragrance emitted at night. One additional piece of evidence is that the amino acids in the pollen appear to help sustain lactation in bats. The flowers remain open into the daylight hours and continue to produce nectar after sunrise. Doves and bees appear to be the primary daytime pollinators#1462407

A couple more facts,they need a host plant for the first five years of their lives.In their lifetime they will produce a million seed and only one will suvive.Hi Tammy,Beautiful capture Buddy.!!!!!! #10134336

Rules are made to be broken...but some cautionary discretion ain't a bad idea either...so sayeth Mother Feldman! :) Glad you made the climb, tho, Vegas - this beautiful flower is incredibly detailed, with great light and color - worth every rule broken on second thought! :) (Superb info also!) #10134467

As always CIty, I find as much pleasure in reading all about your subject as I do in seeing the beauty you capture. Absolutely gorgeous girl. I dont get the chance to see the cattus boom often, so for me its a treat. Incredible in all phases that make a picture stand out dear friend. Have a wonderfull day and be you. #10135492

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Description

Saguaro The saguaro ( /səˈwɑroʊ/; scientific name Carnegiea gigantea) is a large, tree-sized cactus species in the monotypic genus Carnegiea, which can grow to be over 50 feet tall. It is native to the Sonoran Desert in the U.S. state of Arizona, the Mexican state of Sonora, and the Whipple Mountains and Imperial County areas of California. The saguaro blossom is the State Wildflower of Arizona.I had to do some climbing to get near the top of this one .My bad going where it says not to!

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